A Sudanese medical group said paramilitary fighters linked to the Rapid Support Forces killed 27 civilians in villages west of Bara [1].
The attack underscores the persistent vulnerability of non-combatants in Sudan's North Kordofan region, where civilians often face violence despite the absence of military targets.
The Sudanese Doctors' Union reported that the killings occurred on Friday, May 24, 2026 [2]. The group said that the victims included elderly residents who were targeted during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr [1]. According to the union, the villages targeted were free of any military presence at the time of the assault [1].
"We are deeply concerned about the targeting of civilians during Eid al-Fitr and the loss of 27 innocent lives, including the elderly, in villages west of Bara," a spokesperson for the Sudanese Doctors' Union said [1].
The medical group identified the perpetrators as fighters linked to the Rapid Support Forces, an armed group it describes as having repeatedly violated humanitarian law [2]. The report highlights a pattern of violence against rural populations who have limited access to protection, or medical services, during such raids [2].
The Sudanese Doctors' Union continues to monitor casualties in the region as the conflict persists. The spokesperson for the union said, "The attack was carried out by fighters linked to the Rapid Support Forces, an armed group that has repeatedly violated humanitarian law" [2].
“A paramilitary force linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out an attack that killed 27 civilians.”
The targeting of civilians during a major religious holiday in a non-militarized zone suggests a strategy of intimidation or ethnic cleansing rather than tactical military engagement. By striking elderly residents in North Kordofan, RSF-linked forces are intensifying the humanitarian crisis and further delegitimizing their standing under international humanitarian law.
